


Stark Men Don't Sing (And Supersoliders Don't Fanboy)

by TxnyStarkHasAHeart



Series: tony-centric stories [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Cafe AU, F/F, Flirting, Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Tony Angst, Tony Feels, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2018-12-23 09:39:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11987163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TxnyStarkHasAHeart/pseuds/TxnyStarkHasAHeart
Summary: When Steve decided to finally open up his dream cafe with his best friend, Bucky, he thought that things were smooth sailing and relaxing from there.That is, until the famous singer Tony Stark claims their cafe as his new favorite, slowly bringing his band mates, fans, and the entire newscast with him.And somewhere along the way, they all find love.





	1. Unpacking

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! This work is currently not beta read, so there are probably a good bunch of errors along the way. In this work, Steve and Bucky are platonic, and will remain that way, unless I choose otherwise in the future. All the songs I use are from various artists, and I take credit for none of it.

_Till the End of the Line_

The sign looked decent, Steve decided. While a bit crooked, if you squinted, it almost looked perfect. Then again, he was just fine with it being a little odd.  
He remember Bucky and himself saving coins and dollars for years, until they saved up enough to get this cafe.

And now it was opening day, three years later. A pat on the shoulder had him turning around, till he was face to face with his best friend, Bucky. "Stevie, Clint needs help with the boxes, and I gotta go check the kitchen." He said, rolling his eyes as he mentions Clint. Why they ever agreed to let their bird-brain friend work with them was beyond him, though Steve insisted Clint could memorize orders and make espressos like no one else.

"I got it." Steve grinned, walking away to go find the, without a doubt, struggling Clint, and a pile of shattered plates everywhere.

Bucky walked into the small cafe. They could always use the excuse that small meant _cozy_ , if anyone decided to criticize their building too hard. The again, Steve would most likely start up a fight with anyone who got too riled up or rude in their place. Steve's lack of tolerance for stupidity was only rivaled to Bucky's. He walked over to the corner of the room, leaning over to look through one of the few opened boxes. A few minutes later, he pulled out a small radio.  
It wasn't anything new or fancy. Him and Steve could never afford things like that, but it worked and that was all that really mattered. He lightly tugged up the antenna, and began flipping through stations as he walked over to the counter.

All at once, music started blasting from the small radio.  I need another story, something to get off my chest. My life gets kind of boring...need something that I can confess . The lyrics blasted  
through the speakers and Bucky grinned to himself as he quickly recognized the voice. Heavy footsteps could be heard as Steve walked in, arms full of large boxes. Clint followed close behind, a single box in his own hands.  
"Is that Stark?" Clint asked as he listened to the music. He'd heard the song on the radio a few times before, but never really took the time to memorize artists.

"Sure is," Steve pipped in, "He wrote this one after his dad died, and some reporters started making rumors about how they never got on well."

Bucky grimaced at the fact. One of the many things Steve and him had in common, was their love (obsession) with the lead singer of _The Avengers_ , Tony Stark.  
The band, started by Tony and his close friends, Rhodey and Pepper, had skyrocketed to fame after the release of their first album, _I Am An Iron Man_. Ever since, Bucky and Steve  
had began to obsess over the band, and learned nearly everything the media had to offer on them. Rhodey used to be in the military, a commanding officer nonetheless. Pepper used to work in the buisness life, then left when she realized her talent in the music industry.

Steve grinned at the lyrics, deciding now was as good a time as any. He reached into his back pocket after setting the boxes down, pulling out four tickets. "About that...I managed to land us some tickets for his concert tonight."

He grinned meekly at his best friend. They never had any money to spare, and when they did the money always went up towards the cafe savings, so he wasn't surprised Bucky had a look on his face similar to that of a man who just watched a meteor fall from the sky. He doesn't think his reaction would have been any better.

Bucky's eyes widened at the words, as he locked sight with the tickets, never looking away as he spoke,  
"How the hell did you manage that?" He tried to keep his voice calm as he finally broke gaze with the tickets to glance up at Steve.

Chuckling, Steve rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Well, Sam got them a while back, but he had to cancel plans and fly out to Florida.  
There are 4, I figured we could bring Clint and Nat?"  
He tried to keep the excitement from raising in his voice, but this would be their first _Avengers_ concert, and they'd get to see Tony Stark in person.

"Fuck yeah!" Clint whooped, walking out as he took his phone out to call Natasha, telling her the news. Natasha, while a great friend, wasn't a very hyper one, but even she would have a small satisfaction laced in her features at the news. Bucky grinned, suddenly in a better mood.

"Stevie, that's great. Let's hurry up and finish unpackin' so we can head on over a bit early, maybe see them all up close."  
He said as he turned the radio up a little louder, before setting back to unpacking, already much more motivated than he had been in a while.

Steve nodded and smiled to himself, listening as Tony's voice flowed into the room, making it a little brighter. This cafe... it seemed even better than when they first bought it. Yeah, they would be just fine.  
Now he just had to keep himself from freaking out too hard when he saw the band later that night.

 

 

_I Am An Iron Man_

 

 

Tony let out a loud groan, his head tilting back. He was currently spread out on a couch, his legs laying over Rhodey, his head resting in Pepper's lap. "Another concert tonight? I'm gonna drop dead," he whined.  
"A man needs his beauty sleep!"

Obie stood across from them, rolling his eyes. Dealing with musicians turned diva was above his pay grade at the moment. Though dealing with Tony somehow seemed so much worse. "We've already sold out,  
you're preforming. You've got 2 hours till you're up." He said, tsking quietly with his tongue as he did so.

Pepper played with Tony's hair, as Rhodey rolled his drumsticks between his fingers. They both had their concerns for their vocalist, who seemed to be unable to take care of himself.

"You should take a nap before we start." Pepper suggested as she watched the sleep deprived man stand up, wavering a little before looking around for his microphone. Tony seemed to stay awake everyday on sheer will power and coffee alone. She raised an eyebrow at the thought.

"Nah, I'm fine Pep. I'm ready to rock," He moved his gaze to his other friend and band member as he spoke, smirking, " Besides, Rhodey invited a little date tonight."

Pepper's eyes lit up at the gentle teasing flowing between the two men. She moved her attention to Rhodey and grinned. "You invited Sam?" The smile stayed splayed on her face as Rhodey smiled slightly, looking between his two friends. Rhodey was never one for gossip, so her and Tony had been sneakily trying to nudge more information out of him about his mysterious love interest.

"Yeah, but he couldn't make it. Ended up giving his tickets out to some other friends." Rhodey smiled and stood up, shrugging. He had already rescheduled plans to see Sam  
later that week, so he wasn't too concerned. The three nodded to each other and walked towards the stage.

They began rehearsing. 10 minutes in, Tony paused, missing his line. 'What an idiot' he thought to himself. He knew how important this band was to the others, they had all given up their jobs to follow the music industry. The concert tonight may be a small one, not the stadium full they usually expected, but he couldn't let them down. He wouldn't let them down.

Besides, whats one show gonna change?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Songs~
> 
> "Secrets" by One Republic


	2. The Night of the Concert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Bucky, Clint, and Natasha are all on their way to the concert. Steve and Bucky are both excited, and hoping for a glance at their idol, but what if they get more than a glance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys! So I wrote this chapter down throughout the day, kinda working on how i'm gonna pov it all (if you couldn't tell I've been slightly struggling with it). BUT i'll get it, don't worry.

Steve shrugged on a plain white t-shirt, before turning his attention to his hair. After a few minutes of running his hands through his hair, he decided it looked good enough.  
He was well aware that none of the band members from _The Avengers_ would be paying him a second glance, but he'd be damned if they didn't get a nice first one.

He grabbed a sweatshirt, in case it got chilly, and headed out, walking a few blocks to the cafe.

He was about half an hour early (His mama always told him it was better to be early than late), so he was surprised when he heard two voices arguing.

"They're _so_ together!" Clint groaned.  
Steve stepped into the cafe to see Clint flailing his arms around as he argued, and Bucky practically fuming with annoyance as he shot his thoughts right back. "Stark ain't sleeping with his manager!"

Steve rolled his eyes, quickly picking up on the topic of the little battle his friends seemed to be in. He wasn't oblivious, he and Bucky had both seen their fair share of gossip magazine and TV segments, spreading rumors of Tony Stark finding a secret lover in his father's close friend, who also happened to be his manager. Obadiah Stane was gossip, and that was all. Tony had dismissed the rumor many times on television before.

Before he could jump to Tony's defense, alongside Bucky, a small cough in the corner of the room had Steve flinching, unaware that anyone else was there until he heard it.  
Natasha slowly stood up, crossing her arms towards the two bickering men. She was dressed in a black hoodie and black, ripped up jeans. The dark clothes always seemed to suit her personality to most people, though Steve knew she was secretly a nerd. He'd never say that out loud though, he didn't really wanna die.

"If you two are done now, I'd like to get going. The earlier we go, the better spots we'll get." She said in a monotone voice, the excitement perfectly hidden from her friends.

Bucky looked away from Clint, a grin spreading across his face at the thought of seeing Tony on stage. He didn't even attempt to hide his happiness, not like any of them didn't know how much he loved the band.

"Yeah, good point Tash, let's get going."

And with that, they all got into the car, Steve driving them to a small field down the street. Since it was a smaller concert, it wasn't nearly as packed as it usually would have been, and they all let out a small sigh of relief at that fact. These concerts could sometimes get literal millions of people at them.

There was a small stage set up in the middle of the field. As they all stepped out of the car, beginning to walk towards said stage, Bucky caught sight of the guitarist, Pepper Potts.

"Holy shit, they're here! We can see them up close!" Clint cheered, beginning to run up to the stage, leaving his friends behind in his anticipation.

 

"Tony, there's some psycho fan coming to the stage, be careful." Pepper spoke over her shoulder, trying to get the small, sarcastic friend of hers to listen. She turned back to see the sandy-haired man still charging through the field, with no signs of slowing down or stopping. Where was their security unit when they needed them?

She grimaced, gripping the neck of her guitar a little more firmly. She had planned to use this guitar tonight, but she wasn't above breaking it over an attacker's head and using her backup in the tour bus. Rhodey may have been the man trained by the military, but Pepper was absolutely terrifying. She was not a woman to be messed with.  
Tony barely being able to stay awake and on his feet was bad enough to deal with, she wouldn't be dealing with creepy fans as well.

Tony perked up at her words. "Fans? Already?" He raised his eyebrow, a bit shocked. He knew they had some pretty devoted fans, but it was still pretty early.

He stood up and walked near the front edge of the stage, hiding his exhaustion well. The make-up covered the dark bags over his eyes, and his mouth usually worked in distracting others from everything else.

Rhodey smiled from the sidelines as he checked his drum set, then walked over to prep up his keyboard. He didn't really pay attention to the fans, not when he had to get things set up.

He knew better than anyone that Tony still had a hard time believing anyone could really like him, let alone idolize him. So, Rhodey thought, it was good for him to have some fan time. He watched as the strange, seemingly hyper-active man arrived in front of the stage staring up at Tony.

"Fuck! You're Tony Stark! You're so short in person!" Clint gawked, his mouth sensor not existent, per usual. The rest of the group quickly caught up, surrounding Clint and joining in on staring up at the band members.

Steve seemingly froze as he saw Tony, up close and in the flesh. Had his eyes always been so brown? His hair was a mess, but it looked undeniably fitting for the man. The plain black t-shirt Tony had on seemed to hug his person perfectly, and his tight jeans left little to the imagination. Steve's mouth went dry as he openly gawked the small man, his brain rushing to memorize every detail he could for a drawing later, dozens of drawings. He may even be able to hang one up at the new cafe, if he got it done soon enough.

Bucky wasn't fairing any better. He watched Tony, seemingly in a daze, until the firm demanding voice of Pepper cut through everyone's thoughts, and silenced Tony's quiet rambling to Clint about how he was 6'1" thank you very much.

"Tony," she walked up, strumming mindlessly on her guitar, "lets get another song practiced before any more people show up."

Tony smirked down at the group. "Looks like you guys get a free head-start on the show. Lucky you." While his sarcasm practically dripped from the words, his smile gave away it was all fun teasing. Oh God, Steve thought, THE Tony Stark was teasing them.

Bucky nudged Steve with his elbow, clearly trying to keep calm through his smile. A song just for the 4 of them to hear. How...awesome. They watched, Steve and Bucky in awe, Clint in elation, and Natasha in silent curiosity.

Natasha's eyebrows raised in question when the music began, Rhodey playing slow notes on his keyboard. It seemed she wasn't the only one to question it, as Clint's voice broke the small fragment of silence.

"I don't think I've heard this one." he said, turning towards the taller bodies in the group. If this was a released song, Steve and Bucky would not only know everything about it, but every single word.

Steve quickly swept his mind for information. He had heard most, if not all, the songs Tony had ever written and or played. The tune of the keys didn't quite match any of them though.

"I wrote it last night, figured i'd try it out." Tony chimed in, adjusting his mic in the process. He had clearly seen the small group struggling, and felt the need to help them out.

Bucky's eyes widened a bit. They'd get to be a few of the first people to hear an original song by Tony Stark. Steve seemed to be just as exhilarated by the thought. And if the two of them shoved Natasha and Clint to the sides of them, so they would be directly in front of the singer, well, no one said anything about it.

Tony cleared his throat as Pepper joined in with Rhodey, the soft strums of her acoustic blending in nearly perfectly. And if Natasha's lips curled up in a semi-smile as she watched, well, no one said anything about that either.

Tony's voiced slowly seeped in, his gaze wavering between Steve and Bucky. " _Well I woke up to the sound of silence the cars...were cutting like knives in a fist fight..._ "

Tony began walking the stage, seemingly unable to keep still. " _If you're lost and alone, or you're sinking like a stone, carry on..._ "

The music picked up a bit, and seemingly out of nowhere, people filled in around the field, their tickets in their hands, and their eyes on Tony.

Bucky couldn't blame them. He had been starstruck from hearing and seeing the singer live his daily life, but on stage, when he was singing, was when Bucky had fallen in love with the man. It was the most natural looking thing he had ever seen a person do. Birds were born to fly, fish were born to swim, and Tony...well Tony was born to sing.

" _Lay your clothes down on the floor, close the door, hold the phone, show me how, no one's ever gonna stop us now._ "

Steve watched the man in awe. In moments like these, Steve understood how Tony rose in the music industry so quickly. In these moments, Tony forced you to love him. He sang as though he knew his voiced forced you to listen to him.

Like all his life he's been screaming, trying to have a voice and now that he had it, he was using it to get every single thought he had out.

The thing Steve loved most though, had to be the way Tony never seemed to be able to keep up with his thoughts. Tony was... the eye of a tornado. He was peace and chaos all at once. And Steve was perfectly happy with being swept away into all that is Tony Stark.

 

As Tony finished the song, a small smile still left on his face, he looked at the brown-haired man, with long locks, and his tall blonde friend, who stood center front. "This next one goes out to the two and cute guys up front."

He winked, eliciting a blush from the blondie, and a playful grin from the brunette. He loved making others embarrassed, and if he could use his joking tone and sarcasm to hide the truth behind his shameless flirting, well then he'd consider it a win. He started to sing 'Shape of You', and everyone started to dance.

Steve smiled, flustered as he listened. Bucky just smirked up at the small brown-eyed man. Tonight would be the most memorable day of their lives.

 

Atleast, that's what they thought, till the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So again, since this is a work that has NOT been beta read, there are most likely a lot of flaws. I do have a lot of ideas in my head, not just for this work, but a variety of one-shots and maybe a few chapter stories I want to start working on. Still unsure. We'll see.
> 
> ~Songs~
> 
> "Carry On" by Fun


	3. (AGAIN, NOT A CHAPTER)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just read belowwww

Hey guys! So it's been a while. If any of you are keeping up with the story, I'M BACK WITH IT. I took some time to really start up some drafts and get more used to the Archives format and stuff. So while practicing my layouts, I got some new ideas. I just wanted to let you guys know, a new chapter WILL be posted by tonight!!! I also updated chapters 1 & 2, adding and fixing up a few things here and there. So, again, new chapter will be up by tonight, and our boys are gonna get a little one on one time with a short american idol! Also, I wanted to thank everyone who's left Kudos or Comments! It really gives me ideas and I appreciate everything you guys say and suggest!


	4. Genius Never Sleeps (Willingly)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up the next morning, Bucky slowly remembers last night's events. Groaning away, he got ready and headed towards the cafe. They were opening today and he couldn't be late. He ends up finding a not so little surprise inside the building, to which he certainly DID NOT scream to when he first noticed. Not at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, while I feel more comfortable with this chapter, I'm still not feeling as though the first two chapters are really written anywhere near well. I'm considering rewriting the chapters entirely, but I would hate to throw the story off or make any of you reread it. But I also don't want to abandon the story either. Ehhhh. ANYWAYS! Here's the chapter. Enjoy~

Bucky groaned, immediately regretting opening his eyes. Having just woken up, the bright light of the room stung, and it took a few moments of blinking and orientating himself to adjust to it. Slowly sitting up, he stretched out his back, recalling last night's memories.

* * *

 

The concert had gone on throughout the night. While scheduled to end around 11 pm, the crowd had demanded multiple encores, which eventually led to  _The Avengers_ playing for a few more hours. By the time the show actually ended, it had been around 2 am. The crowds were slow to disperse, and afterwards the band members had to pack up, getting their things in order. The four friends, however, stayed patient (well, everyone except for Clint did anyways). 

Eventually, Rhodey came towards the edge of the stage, kneeling down with his always present smirk coating his face. 

"Enjoy the show?" He had asked them, already knowing the answer. While Tony was quick to believe any praises, and Pepper was unaffected by them for the most part, Rhodey  **loved** the attention. He wasn't self obsessed, but he was the only one in the band to be able to accept compliments and know he deserves them.

Clint was the first to speak, his head tilting up to meet Rhodey's gaze. "Yeah man, that was freakin' awesome." He grinned, speaking as if he were talking to any of his usual friends. Clint was casual towards everything, super stars were no exception. Dogs...okay dogs might be an exception...but not super stars.

While the group quietly listened to Clint and Rhodey talk, occasionally adding in their own thoughts, Tony strolled up besides Rhodey, a grin on his face.

Bucky noticed him first, his eyes glancing over the smaller man's entire form. Small droplets of sweat were beaded up on the edges of Tony's forehead, the only real evidence of the exhaustion the night had taken out of him. Bucky barely kept from licking his lips as the image of being able to trace his tongue over every edge of the man's body came through his head. He quickly shoved the thought out of his mind when Tony's lips moved. Missing the words, Bucky's brow furrowed in confusion. Tony, clearly seeing the odd look being sent his way, repeated his sentence.

"You guys wanna come backstage? I was thinking about this new idea for a tour," he began animatedly, clearly starting to form into a long explanation. Only Rhodey seemed to realize what the tone of Tony's voice implied, because he let out a soft sigh, like a parent would when a child began to explain the logic behind  _"I didn't steal the cookie, my imaginary friend did"._ The sigh didn't seem to faze Tony in the least bit as he continued on. 

"So, I was thinking, what if we get these huge hamster balls, right? Okay and then, we go  _in_ them, and jump into the crowd! We could be in the crowd's arms, but also get to move around instead of being stuck in a small area of people grabbing all over us! And then we can reach  _every_ fan, and wouldn't they just love that?" Tony smiled as he explained, as if the plan was genius in itself. He had been thinking of good ways to reach the back of the crowd during a show. Just because the fans in the back couldn't afford close up seats, doesn't mean they deserve any less of an experience, and Tony wanted them to all know that.

While Tony continued on, Bucky couldn't help but glance over at Steve. Steve's face looked relaxed, as if just the sound of Tony's voice calmed his always thinking mind. His body was less tense than it usually was, in a way Bucky hadn't seen since they were little. The sight alone makes Bucky fall in love with Tony even a little more. All he'd had was Steve, for so long, and the fact that Tony can make someone as amazing as Steve feel the least bit better, meant everything. Steve hadn't been able to smile so loosely, to focus so completely on a single thing for so long, and if Tony could finally help him with it, then Bucky knew this man was a god-sent.

Suddenly, Bucky's attention was pulled back to Tony as a hand gripped onto the vocalist's wrist. Obadiah Stane stood firm above the rest, his eyes seeming like ice, freezing the group's chatter nearly instantly. Rhodey's fists clenched nervously, a movement so small it only seemed noticed by Bucky, and possibly Natasha (she missed few things in her life). Tony himself had gone silent, staring up at Stane, looking as if he were waiting for a command, a demand, something.

"Tony, we need to go. Everything's packed up." Stane had said, his tone giving no room for argument. Unfortunately, Tony Stark, if anything, was a man who pushed.

"I'm talking to some fans." He explained, a frown tracing the edges of his lips downwards. Beside him, Bucky could feel Steve tense. Steve had always hated bullies, and was one to start fights quickly, but even he knew this wasn't their place to speak. If they started something, any one of them in their friend group, Stane would most likely find a way to sue them for everything they had. While Bucky knew that was the main reason everyone in the group stayed silent, he tried to convince himself that they all just thought that this might be usual, even okay. Maybe Stane and Tony were harsh to each other often, some managers could be ruthless. That's just how the industry was. 

"I don't care." Obadiah huffed, tugging Tony up roughly and leading him away from the group without another word, not giving Tony enough time to even stutter out a small " _bye_ ". 

Before anyone could react, Rhodey was standing, a frown firm on his features. "Uh, we gotta go. It was great meeting you guys. Hope to see you guys some other time." He said, his voice trying for politeness and genuine friendliness, but coming out terse and rushed. He then walked quickly backstage, following in the tracks of where Obadiah and Tony had gone.

Bucky turned towards the others, unsure of what to say. Steve looked enraged, and seconds away from crawling up on the stage and charging after the band members. Clint looked confused, which was a usual look for him, so Bucky couldn't say much. Natasha...she looked unmoved, still as always. Bucky wasn't expecting much else, Natasha was very slow on showing emotions, only the edges of them showing in important situations. 

"Let's go." He insisted to the group. The band had already left, filing into their tour bus. There was no point in sitting around, wondering what had happened. They had no knowledge on what they had witnessed, and couldn't really assume anything. Letting the rest of his friends know this, they agreed, slowly relaxing as they headed off. Once they got into their car, they moved the conversation to the performance, Clint insisting that the "hot guitarist" had most definitely been staring at him the entire time. Natasha smirked as he rambled on about the guitarist. Bucky smiled alongside her. While he had mostly been gawking at Tony for most of it (okay nearly all of the concert), he had noticed Natasha's gaze fixated on Pepper, and Pepper seemed just as interested. Unfortunately, Clint had stood right beside Natasha the whole night, and had assumed Pepper had been sending flirty smiles towards  _him._ While Natasha wasn't exactly the nicest person, she stayed silent, letting Clint continue his rant about the night.

Once they got to the cafe, everyone went their separate ways home. Steve, living right beside Bucky's apartment, tossed Clint the keys to the cafe before following after Bucky. He spoke over his shoulder to the sandy blonde. 

"Make sure everything's locked up, okay? Remember, bright and early at 5 tomorrow!" Steve had said, before turning his attention back to Bucky. On their short, short walk towards their rooms, they talked quietly (definitely not squealing, giggling, fawning, or fanboying) about Tony, and how well he had preformed that night. 

Bucky fell asleep that night to the memory of Tony's soft, yet strong voice, lulling him to sleep. 

* * *

Once he recounted all the memories from last night, Bucky stood up, combing his hair out of his face with his hand, his real hand. The other had been amputated after he had been caught in the rubles of a broken building. Slowly, he got dressed, tossing on some plain jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt. Somewhat fixing up his hair before heading out, Bucky began his day. He walked towards the cafe, a frown quickly etching onto his face when he easily opened the doors to the building without needing keys. Clint hadn't locked up last night.

Taking a quick breathe in and preparing for everything to have been stolen, he stepped into the building, letting out a small sigh of relief to what he saw. Nothing seemed out of place. Clint was lucky. Walking towards the back, Bucky glanced at one of the small clocks placed above the counter. It was 4:30, which meant Steve wouldn't be here until 4:45(ish), and Clint wouldn't be here until 6. Sighing, Bucky grabbed onto the thin, wooden broom they had bought a few days ago, and began to sweep the floors. Might as well prepare a little early, he thought to himself. He moved around the cafe, whistling a soft tune to the first song Tony and the band had played last night. Eventually, he moved on towards the booths. He swept on, his whistles turning to hums. Then, he froze, as he heard a soft groan. He tensed, gripping tighter onto the broomstick as he heard the sound. Who was here? Had someone broken in and been preparing for an ambush? 

He raised the broomstick a bit higher, ready to slam it down onto the first thing that moved, as he glanced over to a booth a small ways down the cafe. He let out a loud shout (no, Steve is lying, it  **hadn't** been a scream) when he saw what, or more along the lines of  _who_ was there. Curled up and asleep on one of the sides of the cafe booth, was Tony Stark. Bucky's brain didn't seem to register this quick enough, as the broom came slamming down, cracking with a loud thud across Tony's head. That was the exact moment that Steve walked in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nice Bucky, nice. Your skills are rivaled by none other than Clint himself. 
> 
> ANYWAYS, I'd love to hear what you guys thought of the chapter!! Hope you enjoyed it. With the pov, I was thinking of alternating between Steve & Bucky, or having it alternate between Steve, Bucky, and Tony. Let me know what you guys would rather it be, or if you want me to keep it all on one person instead of alternating!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve walks in to Bucky wacking the famous Tony Stark, in the head, with a broomstick. Why did that sentence seem to sum up his luck in life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So i'm pretty happy with my new formatting, and can now easily post new chapters MUCH quicker. 
> 
> for all the comments I've received! I took some opinions in, and have decided to do a alternating pov between our 3 beloved goofballs.

Steve's face quickly became one of complete mortification as he saw the broomstick strike Tony, before clattering to the floor. Glancing up, he looked in sheer panic towards Bucky. 

"What did you do?" he blurted out loudly, rushing forward towards the two men. Bucky himself looked horrified by his actions, his eyes wide and alarmed. He stood frozen. Steve wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know what to do, or if Buck was just in shock.

Although Bucky didn't answer, Steve quickly sat down on the booth, pulling the genius into his lap. Tony's hands were firmly clutched around his head, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Oh god, they had hurt Tony. Hiding his absolutely guilty face, Steve focused on scanning over the smaller man for injuries. He let his hands trace softly around Tony's head and neck. He tried to keep his touches feather-light, not wanting to add any pressure to the most likely forming bruises. His mother had taught Steve quite a few things when he was young, and one of them had been to keep someone in pain comfortable.

Tony merely whimpered at the touches, turning his face up to look at his "attackers". 

Steve froze at the image before him. The only noise his mind registered was a soft gasp from the direction Bucky had been in. Tony's right eye was black. Not bruised blue, but a dark, ugly purple black. His neck was outlined in light scrapes, cuts, and red marks. Steve didn't understand. He had seen where the broomstick had landed and it was nowhere near Tony's front face or neck. The broomstick had landed with a hard blow to the  _back_ of Tony's head. 

"W-where...?" Tony trailed off, his voice rougher than it had been last night. Was it from all the singing? Steve wasn't sure. He was, however, the first to recover from the blatant misfortune as he responded.

"Um, hi Mr. Stark.. Sir?" he began awkwardly. How was he supposed to speak to his literal idol, especially as he tried to explain why, exactly, his best friend had hit said idol over the head with a broomstick. "You um...must have fallen asleep after your performance last night, and ended up sleeping on one of the booths to our cafe..." He trailed off lamely.

"I'm SO sorry Stark," Bucky began, having finally seemed to recuperate. He reached a hand out, pausing it in mid air. It was clear on Buck's face he wasn't sure whether Tony  _wanted_ Bucky to touch him. 

Tony, on the other hand, seemed much more interested in Bucky's prosthetic than he was in the explanation as to why he had been attacked in his sleep. The smaller man seemed to just move on from the subject and possible injuries as he bulldozed into another topic. He reached out, slowly grabbing onto the metal hand. Bucky froze, watching in awe. Steve wasn't faring much better, his arms having unconsciously wrapped around Tony's thin waist as he watched. It felt so...natural.

"This is...amazing. How easy are the joints to move around? Do you have any sensory inputs in any part of your arm? It's waterproof, right?" Tony had begun to rant, shooting off question after question as he looked over the prosthetic arm. Steve couldn't help but think about the strange reaction. Most people were hesitant, to say the least, towards Bucky's arm. Kids were usually terrified, thinking Buck was some cyber cop or something. Teenagers and young adults always seemed to give Buck the famous " _look of pity"_. Older adults and a majority of the elderly would shake their head and begin ranting about wars and injuries  _back in the day._ Other than Steve, Natasha, Clint, and Sam, no one had ever just taken it for what it was, an arm. 

Steve glanced up towards Buck, his eyebrows raised in amusement, before glancing back down towards the tinier of the two brunettes. He quickly saved Buck from all the questions by speaking up.

"You should probably see a doctor." he said. His voice offered the suggestion as that and nothing more, but anyone who knew Steve knew it was a secret demand, one he wasn't willing to debate on. Tony could have a serious head injury. He could be suffering a concussion, intense bruising and swelling, or even a  _cracked skull_ for all they knew. 

The word doctor seemed to spark Tony back into focus as he turned to Steve, his always racing mind taking small notice to the arms wrapped around him. Okay, that was new. 

"Doctors? What, no. I'm fine. I'm peachy. Just needed a little morning call, and that's what I got." he said as he stood up, running a hand through his unruly hair. Steve watched, noticing the way the man's nimble hands avoided connecting with any skin around his head. 

"No, you're entire head is hurt. You have a black eye, dozens of cuts and scrapes, and could be suffering head trauma." Steve insisted, his voice going stern and firm. He only tended to use the voice on people close to him, when he was concerned. His friends would usually joke about it, calling it  _"Steve DISAPPROVES"_ look. It usually scared whatever poor chap was on the other side of it right into listening to the command. Tony, however, was never one to go down easily.

"So what? I tripped walking around town. It was a long night, now I'm awake and feeling as fresh as a daisy. No worries, Cap." he said, obviously teasing at Steve's "captain" voice. 

Bucky cleared his voice with a loud cough, looking between the two. 

"Hey, Stark I think Stevie's right on this one. You're not looking too swell." He said.

Steve glanced up to him, his brows furrowed. ~~Tony _always_ looked good~~. Tony didn't look that bad. Not to Steve anyways. Maybe making the situation seem a bit more crucial than it really is might convince the star to actually take it seriously though, so he nodded along in agreement.

Tony looked between the two, opening his mouth to argue his case further, when the door opened, the small bell on the top of it giving a short  _"ding",_ to notify them of the newcomer. 

Clint walked in, his face looking more nervous than Steve was used to seeing it. Before he could open his mouth to ask the reason, Pepper Potts marched through the door, her eyes like lasers as she scanned the room. Once they landed on Tony, her shoulders visibly relaxed, a small frown etching into her features as she took notice to Tony's worse for wear appearance.

"Tony! What happened!" she nearly squawked, rushing over to the man, her 6 inch heels seeming like flats with her quick movements. "How many times have I  _told_ you to that you need to stop wandering off after concerts! What happened to you?" she asked, her eyes turning to deadly glares as she looked between the three taller men in the room. "Did they do this to you? I'll have everything they own taken from them and burned within an hour from now if they hurt you. Tony we can sue." she urged, looking suspiciously towards the men.

Steve visibly winced at the statement. They barely were making it by as it was, but she wasn't wrong. If Tony wanted, he could sue Buck and the cafe for every penny they had, and every shirt on their backs. He tried to avoid looking towards Clint. If Clint knew what had happened, he would surely start yelling it across town, and they really didn't need that sorta attention. While Buck stayed quiet, seemingly looking over every possible exit in the building, probably planning to bolt and hide away, Steve sighed and spoke up.

" 'm sorry ma'am...my friend here thought Mr. Stark was an intruder...he hit him with a broomstick." Steve spoke, keeping his voice calm and even. While he knew they could lose everything they'd worked for since childhood, he couldn't be dishonest. That wasn't how his mama raised him.

Tony quickly jumped to their defense, though Steve was clueless as to why. "Pep, calm down. I'm fine. Where's Rhodey bear?" he asked, the mischievous grin on his face seemingly being just enough to convince Pepper to drop the subject. 

"He's on a date with that guy, Sam I think." she said, a faint smile tracing her lips. She was happy to see at least one of the three in their little group have a stable, happy and healthy relationship.

Tony seemed gleeful at the news, light shining through his one good eye. Steve winced at the thought. How had tripping given Tony a black eye that badly swollen? Geez ...the man wasn't even tall, the fall couldn't have been that far down. Then again, things happened. Rock stars got hit with broomsticks, short men fall to their eye's demise, and two broke fellas could be in a small room with their famous celebrity crush. Life was just FULL of crazy things, huh?

Steve was pulled out of his thoughts when the small bell went off again. Glancing over, he noticed a small group of teenagers gawking at Tony and Pepper. Right, it was opening day. Customers would hopefully be filing in throughout the day. The teenagers were quickly whipping out their phones, taking pictures of the stars and tweeting the cafe. 

Tony grinned, turning to give Steve a soft smile that just about melted his heart. 

"Hey guys," Tony looked over to the tweeting kids, grinning from ear to ear. "This place has the  _best_ coffee around. I think I might stop by again sometime. You should try the French Vanilla Special." he said. The teenagers gasped, their thumbs typing away furiously on their phones with each word. 

Steve looked over to Bucky, who seemed to be realizing the same thing Steve was. In less than an hour, this place was probably going to see more business than the most popular coffee shops saw in  _months_. 

Tony wrapped his arm around Pepper's as she began walking out, gossiping about Rhodey's new man. Tony laughed, turning his head back to send a small wink towards the two men before he walked out.

Steve's mouth went completely dry, his eyes widening. He was sure Bucky was in even worse of a state. The Tony Stark...had just winked at them.

"What the HELL just happened?!" Clint burst out as soon as the cafe doors closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony, it's not HEALTHY to brush off injuries! 
> 
> On another note, hope you guys liked the chapter! I'm pretty happy with how this is coming along so far, though I am looking for new prompts to start up on. I think working on another piece or two could really help me keep things fresh and focused. Feel free to comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story so far!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obadiah demands to have a meeting, Rhodey is not to be messed with, and Pepper is evilly cute. And Tony? Well Tony just wants some coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, get this, I've actually been keeping up with updating everyday. Crazy, I know. Enjoy!

The world was stuck in a constant spin around Tony.

Okay, well, technically, Tony was spinning around in a room, but from  _his_ point of view, it was definitely the room spinning, not him. 

Deciding he'd had enough of twirling around, he pressed his feet down against the carpeted floor, stopping the rolling chair in it's motions. After blinking a few times to adjust himself, he glanced over the table. Across from him sat Pep and Rhodey, neither looking very amused.

"You know what they should make?" Tony asked, trying to lighten their sour expressions, "Automatic spinney chairs. Think about it. Tired in a meeting? Just the click of a button and you can spin right out of guaranteed boredom." He grinned. He knew he wasn't an inventor, he was a singer, but with his mind always racing, he loved to think of new ideas. Hmm...maybe in another life, but definitely not this one. 

"Tony, you got hit with a broomstick, and your eye is still swollen. Making yourself dizzy could make things worse." Pepper tsked, making her disapproval clear. 

"Where is he already?" Rhodey chimed in, clearly irritated. That wasn't necessarily new for Rhodey, Tony had seem him get agitated over a bunch of things within their years of knowing each other, but it didn't stop Tony from letting out a soft sigh. 

They were all a bit tense, though Tony hid it the best. Obadiah had messaged them all in a group text, demanding there was urgent news to cover. He send them all the address to the board room they were all currently sitting in, waiting. He was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago, but so far there had been no signs that he was even close. 

"He's a busy man." Pepper responded, her voice terse.

Tony knew why they were mad. After the concert last night, Tony and Obadiah had gotten into an argument about socializing with fans. It got loud, like it usually did. The conversation took a heavy drift once Obi had changed the topic from fans to how Tony needed to stop acting as if he were so well liked and arrogant. 

Tony should have known better than to say what he had said after that. He had said something along the lines of, "I'm the lead singer, I'll talk to my fans if I want to." In the moment, he had thought it was a fair statement. He  _was_ the lead singer, so why wouldn't he talk to his fans? He would be nothing without them, the band wouldn't be where they are now without the support of their fans.

Obi seemed to think it was the wrong thing to say however. Within moments he had reeled his arm back before punching Tony in the face.

Tony remembered exactly how it had felt, as it wasn't the first time this has happened. It had been as though someone had slammed a hammer onto his eye, shoving it back into his skull. 

After the first hit, Tony had gone silent, letting Obi rake into him with a his nails. He took every cut with as much dignity as he could. He was Tony Stark. He couldn't just go crying over some scrapes and bruises.

Tony hated it. Hated that sometimes, when Obi didn't wanna "talk" (whenever Obi said "talk" it usually meant "fight") in private, and Pepper and Rhodey would be forced to watch. Sometimes, when things got bad, Pepper would get sick. And it would be all Tony's fault for never being able to keep his mouth shut. 

The cracking sound of a door being opened pulled Tony out of his thoughts as Obadiah walked in. 

"We need to talk." Was all he started out with, before taking a seat close to Pepper.

"You guys have another gig tomorrow night, for a much bigger crowd." he continued, pulling out his notebook and jotting a few things down.

"I expect makeup on you." he said pointedly towards Tony "you look like shit." He rolled his eyes, as if the way Tony looked was a constant annoyance to his everyday life. It probably was.

Tony just nodded, letting his fingers gently tap against the arm chair to get out his small jitters. 

"Potts, I expect a new song to be out by tonight. I would tell Tony to do it, but you get things done." Obadiah said, only pausing a moment to let Pepper give a small nod before moving on to Rhodey. 

"And you, you're on thin ice buddy." He glared.

Tony winced at the statement. Rhodey had quickly gotten Obi off of Tony, shoving the man away. Obi had nearly burst into flames of rage, but luckily Pepper had stepped in and averted the conversation. 

"I expect the concert to be the best one yet. Don't let me down." he looked over all of them before standing up and walking out. 

As soon as the door clicked close behind their manager, Rhodey stood up, fists clenched. 

"Why the hell did he say it was urgent? He could have texted us all that. He just wanted to waste our time!" He fumed, beginning to pace the room. He had had plans today, Tony knew. Rhodey always visited his mama on Mondays. 

"We all know why he calls us in for these things." Pepper started calmly. She had always been the best at keeping cool, assessing the situation, and taking things for what they were. Tony loved her, and he wouldn't deny those were some of the many reasons he did.

"He just wants to prove he controls us. That's all." she said. Everyone in the room took the words for their truth. 

She wasn't wrong, but Tony felt there were more important things to worry about in the moment. Obi wanted a new song released within the next few hours. How was he supposed to manage that? Pepper and Rhodey had mere hours to make the sound, and Tony had hours to come up with some lyrics. Not to add in the fact that the song needed to be good enough to hit the Top Ten Boards. They always did, and the times they didn't (mainly in the very beginning of their band's birth) Obi got mad. 

"Let's just go somewhere quiet, and come up with something, alright?" She suggested, standing up and straightening out her outfit. 

Rhodey let out a small puff of frustration before he nodded, letting one of his arms sling over Tony's shoulders as they all walked out. 

* * *

 "This isn't working." Tony huffed, falling onto the firm couch. Pepper stood, grinning across from him as she held her bass in her hands.

"It's not working because "Back in Black" is already a song. You can't just keep singing it and expect a new song to just magically appear in your mouth, Tony." she reprimanded. 

She may have been onto something, Tony decided as he sat up. For the past half hour, he had been nonstop singing ACDC, which only managed to have Pepper and Rhodey start playing ACDC. While the band was all well and amazing, the songs were already made, and therefore, not helpful to their goal. 

"I can't focus in here! Such monotone colors, drains the life right outta me." he said dramatically, falling back over and playing dead on the couch.

"Then let's just go somewhere else." Rhodey sighed, already looking around for one of his keyboards to bring with.

"Where?" Pepper sighed, clearly unsure about the idea. They usually came up with their music in her living room, for lack of a better area. Even now, after they became rich for lack of a better word, they still came up with music in the small, stuffy apartment. It was tradition.

"There's this cafe place." Tony grinned as he perked up. He didn't even bother to try and hide the pure look of mischief on his face as he continued, "We could go there. Someone will end up recording us and then we don't even have to upload the song ourselves for another day or two." He added, knowing it would be enough to convince Rhodey. 

Rhodey-Bear  _hated_ making music videos. Tony knew it was probably from being pulled and pushed and dressed up and moved around. The weird, awkward poses they had to do something probably didn't help. 

Pepper, on the other hand, seemed against the idea.

"Tony, we can't just walk in and start preforming. We could get kicked out..." she started in on the holes in the plan before pausing, her eyes widening in realization of something.

"Are you talking about that cafe with that guy who beat you with a broomstick?! Tony, no!" She huffed.

Rhodey raised an eyebrow. He had heard about the morning's earlier events as they met up at the board meeting. 

"No, let's go." He said, a glint in his eye making Tony nervous.

"Wait, Rhodey no." Tony quickly said, trying to take back the suggestion.

"I just wanna talk to him." Rhodey said defensively, raising his hands in a fake surrender motion.

"Rhodey, no, we're not going." Tony urged, following out as Rhodey picked up his keyboard, walking out of the apartment and out of the building. Pepper quickly followed the two, amusement on her face as she called out the address to Rhodey.

"I just wanna talk to him. I just wanna talk to him." Rhodey insisted. "I just wanna kill him. I just wanna talk to him." he said, marching across down in the direction of the small, dinky cafe. 

Tony's eyes widened as they got closer. Oh god. 

Pepper giggled as Tony put all of his weight into stopping Rhodey from going in the fairly busy cafe. Unfortunately, Tony was like a leaf to Rhodey, and stood absolutely no chance. Rhodey gripped onto the front doors and went in, followed by a nervous looking Tony, and a giggly, excited Pep. 

Tony looked up and saw the large brunette who had struck him this morning taking orders from a cute, young looking couple seated near the entrance. Said brunette looked up, his eyes widening.

Tony gave a slight awkward wave, and that was clearly all it took for Rhodey to know he had already found the person. He walked up to the brunette, his friends trailing closely behind him.

Everyone in the cafe was staring at them now, obviously recognizing the band members. Even the tall blonde and the sandy blonde from this morning were staring. The room stayed silent as everyone waited for Rhodey to say something. Coincidentally, Tony ended up being the first one to break the silence. He only had time to squeak out an embarrassed, "I'm so sorry" before Rhodey grabbed the brunette (James, his name tag read) by the front of his shirt and lifted him up just enough to shove him against the table he was serving. The couple yelled out in surprise and took a step back.

"You cracked a broomstick upside Tony's head? Are you nuts?!" He said, letting go. Now that he had thoroughly scared the man, Tony could tell Rhodey was satisfied enough to start ranting. He looked a lot like Mama Rhodes in these moments, absolutely terrifying. 

"It was an accident!" Tony shouted out, trying to somewhat defend James as Rhodey began to rant on and on about respect, safety, broomstick thickness and manufacturing, and how to handle situations. 

James seemed frozen as he listened to Rhodey, clearly still shocked over being thrown onto a table. Tony gave an apologetic look. Maybe he'd wait a little while before asking if they could play here tonight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a few things. Firstly, what did you guys think of the chapter? I know some people are wondering why Rhodey is so protective of Tony but let's Obi do what he does to him, but I promise there's an explanation behind it!
> 
> I was also considering starting an Avengers High School AU. Thoughts? 
> 
> Thank you everyone! I love reading your comments and really appreciate the kudos.


	7. It's okay to smile again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers, after a long talk with the cafe owners, are finally gonna preform. Only problem is, Tony has no idea what to sing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this update was lonnnggg overdue...but it's here now, and that's all that matters! For everyone who read my informative about possibly dropping this work, I just want to let you know I'm gonna try and keep it going, hence the new update. Enjoy~

Eventually, they had gotten Rhodey to calm down.

It wasn't easy. The man had gone into full  _Mama Rhodes_ mode, which in itself made Tony slightly nervous to even attempt to defend the two men. But he did, and Rhodey calmed down, and now everything was fine.

At least he was fairly sure it all was. The two men, Tony had learned their names were Bucky and Steve, kept staring at him. Which was probably fair. They probably wanted to strangle Tony for causing so many issues within a good two days. 

Tony had hopefully somewhat made peace with them when he offered for  _The Avengers_ to play at the cafe later tonight. Whether Steve and Bucky hated him or not, everyone knew that if they did end up preforming, business would be buzzing for at least a  _year_ after their visit. No, Tony wasn't even exaggerating. They had millions of fans, many of whom wanted to "sit in the same place he sat" and, "breathe in the air the legend Pepper breathed" and everything.

Creepy? Yes. But also endearing. Also endearing. Tony loved his fans, hence they were allowed to be as creepy as they wanted. Well...for the most part. 

His mind shifted, getting back on track of tonight's show. 

Preforming wasn't the issue. Tony loved preforming. He never had stage fright, was never nervous. Failure on stage? Nope, Tony had never heard of her. The only problem is, he needed to come up with a song in the span of a good hour or two. He was left clueless.

He was single, so there goes the love songs. As good as he was about angst, this was supposed to be a small, upbeat, happy little gig, not some soul bearing, heart wrenching, teeth clenching agony he usually put his fans through with his lyrics.

Tony wouldn't even  _mind_ winging some random lines as he got onto stage, but the two unfairly hot owners of the cafe have been staring at him for a half an hour now, and he was nearly positive he was going to spontaneously combust. 

The worst par was, Tony was goggling at both of them. No, no he couldn't just pick one of them to realistically crush over, but the stubborn bastard he was had to go and squeal over the both of them.

One was a soft blonde. He was tall and broad, but his face didn't match it. His face seemed smaller, just a bit. His blue eyes seemed like the most innocent things in the world. What was Tony supposed to compare them to? Puppies? Flowers? Everything good in the world? Yeah, probably all of the above. The man looked firm in his stance, like he always has some small, uptight nature to him. Tony wondered what he was like around close friends. Maybe then he let back a little?

Probably not. Then there was Bucky. Tony didn't like the name. It sounded like a mutt. The man's actual name was James. James had long hair, a nonexistent smile, and just about the most beautiful jaw Tony had ever seen. Yes, he said jaw. It wasn't his fault that jaw line could cut paper,  _sue him._ But James was so different from Steve. He had this look that just screamed he knew too much of the world, too much of the harsh reality of it. Maybe that was what Tony yearned for in the man. Someone who could genuinely understand why he was awake at three in the morning  _every_ morning, sobbing, because of the world.

Both men made him wanna smile. Smile... He tugged out a small, leather bound notebook and started quickly scribbling down lyrics. 

* * *

 

Bucky watched as Pepper Potts walked up to Stark, reading something over his shoulder. Tony had been huffing and puffing over some tiny little notebook for the past half hour. 

He watched as Pepper nodded, plucking the notebook out of Stark's hands and walking over to James Rhodes, quietly muttering something about a build up before the chorus. Maybe the notebook was full of lyrics. Did Stark write all his songs last minute?

Damn, that was cute. Bucky blinked, sighing at his own lack of self control, before taking a seat with Stevie on the counter, waiting as the band members set up in the corner of the cafe. Luckily, they had brought their own equipment, mics included. Anything they hadn't brought with them had been hauled in by what Buck assumed were workers and security guards.

"How the hell did we get so lucky? The Avengers? Not only snatching some tickets, but also having them play at our place?" he asked, honestly wondering exactly how the world work for such a string of events to come together so perfectly in their favor.

"Not sure." Steve replied, honest confusion in his voice, "Don't question it, though. Ma always said questioning great things makes them less." 

Bucky was about to go into a mini rant about how he'll question whatever he wants to question, when a guitar strum silenced the entire cafe in a single second. Aside from hushed gasps of excitement and stunned eyes, everything stood still as they all looked towards the band.

Pepper continued to strum for a while, the music taking it's time to make it's self known. Bucky noticed, they were all different in their music.

Tony sang as though he needed to be heard, like he was a dying man trying to spread all the thoughts that had killed him within a matter of three minutes. Pepper played firmly, not questioning. It was as she knew what the music meant, and was just providing it for the audience. She knew she had nothing to prove, just enjoyment to give. Rhodey played like he was in his bedroom, hands moving across numerous instruments. Playing for himself, not the audience. 

Then, Tony grabbed onto the microphone perched on the stand, looking around at the crowd as his words kicked in, soft and paced.

 _"As the light, washes over the morning rise_  
You're still asleep, and that's all right  
I can be still, cause you look so sweet  
And beautiful, next to me"

And suddenly Tony was making eye contact with him as the chorus pushed through, and Bucky's breathe was gone. 

" _And all my life_  
I've been waiting for someone like you  
To make me smile  
You make me feel alive  
And you're giving me everything  
I've ever wanted in life"

Bucky's fingers gripped tight to the counter top, his eyes never leaving Tony's. Tony looked meek, but his voice never trembled, never wavered. Then, suddenly, Tony was looking just to Buck's right. It took him a second to realize Tony was looking at Steve now.

 _"You make me smile_  
And I forget to breathe  
What's an angel like you  
Ever do with a devil like me"

Tony had to have just written this. There was no proof, of course Buck knew that, but it felt like more. And suddenly Bucky needed to be in front of Tony, holding Tony, demanding him for an explanation. 

Eventually, the song ended, Tony having spent the rest of it gazing over the crowd. Bucky understood, he really did. Tony had millions fawning over him, he had to pay them attention when he could. So, the rational part of Bucky's mind understood. The other part, however, wanted to lock Tony away in a bedroom, keeping the perfect little man hidden from the world's terrifying eyes. 

He glanced over, noticing Steve seemed to be stuck in his own head too. Before he could really try and form a somewhat casual question to Steve to break him out of his daze, a short form shuffled up to them, hands hanging loosely at his side.

Tony stood in front of them, smiling softly. His cheeks were a pale pink, only somewhat flustered from the long performance. His hair was a small, fluffy mess and all Bucky wanted to do was run his hands through it. 

"Did you guys like it?" Tony asked, looking up at them like a small child asking for approval. A small tinge of pain poured through Bucky's heart, as he wondered how little praise the man had gotten when he was younger, that he still seeked it out so much.

And then Tony was looking up at him, his eyebrows knitting together in a cute confusion, and Bucky couldn't have been held accountable for his actions. He gripped onto the shorter man's chin, tilting it up and pressing their lips together.

Suddenly, the flash of hundreds of cameras were all Bucky could see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay~ Hope you enjoyed the new chapter! I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts/opinions in the comments!!
> 
> Songs
> 
> "Smile" by Sixx AM

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is my first fan fiction, and I would love some feedback. Feel free to tell me about your ideas, thoughts, etc. I plan on adding a chapter every day or two. (I'll let you guys know if that changes). I know this first chapter is a bit rough. I typed it out this morning and just posted. I'll give the next chapter a little more words, thoughts, depth, and time. Thanks for reading!


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